Cash-register.



PATENTED DEC. 13, 1904.,

A VON HOPFMANN.

CASH REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

1m MODEL,

i) I /ZZZ/f 29/2 Z a 54711220 W1 Tesses- PATENTED DEC. 13, 190- 1.

Nu m\ N!) MODEL.

PATENTED DEC. 13, 1904.

A. VON HOFFMANN.

CASH REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1904.

0;! SHEBTSSHEET 3. H

N0 MODEL.

l Wi i If/22w" 0/2? affwawz,

UNITED STATES Patented. December 13, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

NATHANIEL S. ROBINSON,

OF MILIVAUKEE, VVISOONSIN.

CASH-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,341, dated December 13, 1904. Application filed July 11, 1904. Serial No. 215,983. (No model.)

To all whom it vnay concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT VON I-IoFrMANN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cash-Registers, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to cash-registers.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a cash-register particularly designed and adapted for use on toy savingsbanks to register the amount of money deposited in the bank.

A register of my invention consists of the various features, combinations of features, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which a cash-register of my invention as applied to a savings-bank is fully illustrated, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a savings-bank provided with a cash-register of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of thebank on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing the register in side elevation. Fig. 3 is sectional view of the bank on the line 3 8 of Fig. 2, showing the register in bottom plan view. Fig. 4c is a diagrammatic sectional elevation illustrating the operation in registering a nickel. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic sectional elevation showing the operation in registering a dime. Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 5, together showing the operation in registering a quarter of a dollar; Fig. 8 is a detail section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation showing the dollar slide and pawl. Fig. 10 is a detail section through the number-wheels on the line 10 10 of Fig. 3. Fig. 11 is a detail section showing the number-wheel clutches, taken on the line 11 11 of Fig. 10. Figs. 12 and 13 are perspective views of the cent,

nickel, and quarter-of-adollar, and of the dime,

half-dollar, and quarter-dollar slides, respectively; and Figs. 14: and 15 are detail sectional views of the dollar-slide on the lines 14: 1 1 of Fig. 9 and 15 15 of Fig. IA, respectively.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 designates the body portion of a savings-bank which is provided with a removable top 2, adapted to be secured thereto in any desired manner. For convenience my improved cash-register is mounted upon the removable top 2 of the savings-bank.

The construction of my improved cash-register is as follows:

Supported in'brackets 3 and 4, secured to and depending from the under side of the top 2 of the bank, so as to be inclosed within the bank when the top is secured in position, is a rod 5, upon which are revolubly mounted number-wheels 6, 7, 8, and 9, on the perimeters of which are formed series of numbers, which will be successively exposed through holes or openings 10, formed in the top 2 of the bank in a manner common in structures of this type. The number-wheels 6, 7, 8, and 9 are connected, by means of suitable clutches, in such manner that rotation of the wheels 6, 7, and 8 will impart step-by-step rotation to the wheels 7, 8, and 9, respectively. As shown, the series of numbers on said numberwheels run from O to 9, inclusive, and the relation is such that a complete rotation of any one of the wheels 6, 7, or 8 will rotate the wheels 7, 8, and 9, respectively, a distance equal to that between successive numbers on said wheels. With this construction it is obvious that registration will be in decimals, the numberwheel 6 indicating units or cents, the number wheel 7 tens or dimes, the number-wheel 8 hundreds or dollars, and the number-wheel 9 thousands or ten dollars. By increasing the number of wheels it is obvious that the capacity of the register may be increased indelinitely, as may be desired. As shown, Figs.

"10 and 11, the clutches connecting said number-wheels consist of ratchet-wheels 11, 12, and 13, secured to rotate with the numberwheels 7, 8, and 9, respectively, and which are adapted to be engaged by spring-pawls 14:, 15, and 16, respectively pivoted to the number-wheels 6, 7, and 8. During the greater part of the rotation of the numberwheels 6, 7, and 8 the pawls 14, 15, and 16, carried thereon, are maintained out of engagement with the ratchet-wheels 11, 12, and 13, which they are respectively designed to engage, by means of cams 17, secured against rotation on the rod 5. In order to permit engagement of the pawls 14, 15, and 16 with their respective ratchet-wheels at predetermined intervals, the cams 17 are cut away at one side, as shown at 18, said pawls being again disengaged from said ratchet-wheels as said number-wheels 6, 7, and 8 continue to rotate by means of inclined cam-sections 19, connecting the cut-away portions 18 thereof with their perimeters. As previously stated, the relation is such that at each engagement of the pawls 14, 15, and 16 with their respective ratchet-wheels the number-wheels 7, 8, and 9 will be moved a distance equal to that between successive numbers thereon.

Money is adapted to be deposited in the bank through suitable openings formed in the top 2 thereof, comprising an opening 20 for cents, 21 for nickels, 22 for dimes, 23 for quarters, 2A for half-dollars, 25 for dollars, and 26 for bills. In order to secure the designed operation of the register, care must be taken to deposit coins of different denominations in their proper slots or openings.

Mounted in suitable guides on the top 2 of the bank, so as to be freely movable toward and from the number-wheels, are slides 30, 50, and 70, (see Figs. 12 to 15, inclusive,) pivoted to which are pawls 31, 51, and 71, which are respectively adapted to engage a ratchetwheel 32, secured to rotate with the numberwheel 6, and the ratchet-wheels 11 and 12, secured to rotate with the number-wheels 7 and 8, respectively. The pawls 31 and 51 (see particularly Figs. 1 and 5) are made in the form of racks and comprise live teeth each, and at the inner ends of said rack-teeth said pawls are provided with rearwardly-inclined cam-surfaces 33, engagement of which with the teeth of the ratchet-wheels which they respectively engage will operate to raise said pawls out of engagement with the teeth of said ratchet-wheels. The dollar-pawl 71 (see Fig. 9) comprises a single tooth only, as the register shown is designed to register nothing higher than a single dollar. The indicator may, however, be readily adapted for registering larger sums as, for instance, gold pieces or bills of higher denominations than one dollar-by providing said pawl 71 with the necessary number of teeth.

In order to economize space and also to simplify the construction, the guide portions of the cent-slide and of the dime-slide 50 are disposed one upon the other, as shown, the guide portion of the dime-slide overlying the guide portion of the cent-slide. In this manner a single set of guides will answer for both slides. As shown, the guides for said slides 30 and 50 consist of posts 34 and 35, which embrace the opposite sides of said slides adjacent to their ends remote from the number-wheels, and a post 36, which engages slots 37 and 52, formed in said slides 30 and 50, respectively.

Said slides are secured in engagement with their guides by suitable caps secured to the tops of the posts 34%, 35, and 36, which extend over the adjacent edges of the dime-slide 50. The post 36 is located at a considerable distance from the posts 34 and 35 in order to prevent binding of said slides in their guides, the position of said post 36 being preferably such that it will form a stop, contact of which with the ends of the slots 37 and 52 adjacent to the number-wheels will operate to limit the movement of said slides away from said numher-wheels, the relation being such that when the ends of said slots are in contact with said post 36 the extreme teeth of the pawls 31 and 51 will be in engagement with teeth of the ratchet-wheels 32 and 11. Thus as the slides 30 and are advanced toward the numberwheels the teeth of the pawls 31 and 51 will successively engage the teeth of said ratchetwheels 32 and 11, thereby making provision for rotating said number-wheels to register series of live numbers or less, as may be desired.

As shown, the dollar-slide is supported so as to be movable toward and from the number-wheels in guides formed in an extension 72 of the bracket 4, in which the rod 5 is mounted. As shown, Figs. 14C and 15, said dollar-slide 70 is movably supported in the following manner: Formed in the bracket extension 72 are guide-slots 73 and 7 4, of which the slot 73 is adapted to be engaged by a tongue 75 on said slide 70, a head 76 on which is adapted to engage the bracket extension 72 on the opposite side thereof from the slide 70 and the slot 7 1 is adapted to be engaged by a pin 77, which projects laterally from said plate through said slot, said pin being provided with acollar 78, which engages the opposite side of the bracket extension 72 from the slide 70. As shown, the dollar-pawl 71 is pivoted to the end of the pin 77, which is made of proper length to bring said pawl 71 in line with the ratchet-wheel 12, secured to the dollar number-wheel 8. To provide for engaging the tongue 75, which, as shown, is made integral with the slide 70, with its slot 73, said slot is open at one end. As shown, the pawls 31 and 51 are pivoted to downwardly-projecting lugs 38 and 53 on the cent and dime slides 30 and 50, respectively. As shown also, the pawls 31, 51, and 71 are maintained normally in engagement with their respective ratchet-wheels by means of springs 39, which connect lateral projections 40, 541, and 79 on said pawls, respectively, with rigid supports on the top 2 of the bank, as shown, with a bar or plate 11, rigidly secured to a post 42 on the top of said bank. It is obvious that the springs 39 will also operate to maintain the slides 30, 50, and 70 normally retracted.

Retaining-pawls 27, which, as shown, Figs. 9 and 10, are supported upon the brackets 3 and 1, are adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel's 32,11, 12, and 13 and to prevent rearward movement'thereor', and thus of the number-wheels 6, 7, 8, and 9, as the operating-pawls 31, 51, and 71 are retracted.

Rigid portions of the cent-slide 30 extend across the cent slot or opening and the nickel slot or opening 21 of the dime-slide 50, across the dime slot or opening 22 and the half-dollar slot 24 of the dollar-slide 7 0, across the dollar slot or opening 25 and the bill-opening 26, and rigid portions of both the centslide and the dime-slide extend across the quarter slot or opening 23. As shown, the end of a lateral projection 43 on the cent-slide 30 extends across the cent-opening 20 at a distance from the end of said slot remote from the number-wheel, the relation being such, as shown in diagram in Fig. 1, that as a cent is inserted through said slot 20 it will advance said slide 30, and thus the pawl 31, which engages the ratchet-wheel 32, secured to rotate with the cent number-wheel 6 a distance equal to. that between successive numbers on said number-Wheel, thus registering one number on said cent or units numberwheel 6. Extending through the nickel-slot 21 at a distance from the end of said slot remote from the number-wheels is a projection 44 on said cent-slide 30, the relation being such, as shown in diagram in Fig. 4, that as a nickel is inserted through said slot 21 it will operate to advance said slide 30, and thus the pawl 31 carried thereon, a sulficient distance to rotate the cent number-wheel 6 a distance equal to that between six successive numbers thereon, thus registering five numbers on said cent or units number-wheel 6. Extending across the dime-slot 22 is a' rigid portion of the dime-slide 50, which bridges the slot 52 therein, the relation being such, as shown in diagram in Fig. 5, that as a dime is inserted through the dime-slot 22 it will operate to advance the dime-slide 50, and thus the pawl 51 carried thereby, a sutticient distance to rotate the ratchet-wheel 11 and the dime number-wheel 7, secured to rotate therewith, a distance equal to that between successive numbers on said number-wheels 7, thus registering one number on the dime or tens number-wheel 7. Extending across the halfdollar slot or opening 24 is a lateral projection 56 on said dime-slide 50, the relation being such that as a half-dollar is inserted through said opening 24 it will operate to advance said dime-slide 50 a sufiieient distance to rotate said dime number-wheel 7 a distance equal to that between six successive numbers thereon, thus registering five numbers on said dime number-wheel 7. Extending through the quarterslot 23 is a lateral projection 45 on the centslide 30, and extending across said quarterslot 23 is a rigid shoulder 57 on the dime-slide 50, the relation being such, as shown in diagram in Figs. 6 and 7, that as a quarter is inserted through said slot 23 it will first act on the projection 45, thus imparting movement to the cent-slide 30 and to the pawl 31 carried thereby, and will then engage the shoulder 57 on the dime-slide 50, thereby imparting movement to said dime-slide 50 and to the pawl 51, carried thereby. The relation is such, also, that the movement imparted to the cent-slide 30 by the insertion of a quarter through said slot 23 will be sufficient to rotate the cent number-wheel 6 adistance equal to that between six successive numbers thereon and will then by engagement with the shoulder 56 impart movement to the dimeslide 50 to register two numbers on the dime number-wheel 7. The aggregate registration will thus be five cents and two dimes, the value of the coin inserted. As previously stated, in registering a quarter the registration of the cents is completed before the registration of the dimes begins, so that to register the dimes it will be necessary to advance the cent-slide 30 and the pawl 31 thereon beyond the point at which the registration of the cents is completed. Such further movement of such cent-slide 30 will, however, merely bring the cam-surface 33 thereon into engagement with the ratchet-wheel, which will operate to disengage said pawl from the teeth of said ratchet-wheel in the manner described, so that registration of the cents will cease at the desired number. Extending across the dollar-slot 25 is arigid lateral projection 80 on the slide 70, the relation being such that as a silver dollar is inserted through said dollar-slide 25 it will operate to impart movement to the dollar-slide 7O asufficient distance to register one number on the dollar or hundreds wheel 8. To effect registration of bills inserted through the bill-opening 26, the lateral projection 80 on said dollar-slide is extended to said bill-opening 26 and is provided with a downward projection 81, which is inclined away from the number-wheels, and opposed to which is a rigid projection 82 on the top 2 of the bank at the side of said billopening 26 remote from said number-wheels, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. In inserting a bill it is folded and formed into arollof about the size of a lead-pencil, as indicated in Fig. 8, and is then inserted through the bill-opening, the relation being such that as said bill is inserted through the bill-opening past the projection 81 on the dollar-slide 70 and the rigid projection 82 it will operate to advance said dollar-slide a sufiicient distance to register one number on the number-wheel.

The projections 44 and 45 on the slide 30 and the projection 56 on the slide 50 are preferably provided with guards 28, the sides of which extend in to close proximity to the sides of said projections. Said guards will thus form guides which will operate to maintain coins in engagement with said projections and will also operate to prevent accidental operation of the register, all in an obvious manner.

I claim as my invention 1. In a cash-register, the combination of a baseplate provided with money-openings, number-wheels, ratchet-wheels secured to rotate with said number-wheels, clutches connecting said number-wheels, means to engage and disengage said clutches, slides fitted to and movable in suitable guides on said baseplate rigid portions of which extend across the money-openings, pawls pivoted to said slides which engage the ratchet-wheels secured to rotate with the number-wheels, stops which limit the movement of said slides away from said number-wheels and springs which maintain said pawls normally in engagement with their respective ratchet-wheels and the slides normally retracted, substantially as described.

2. In a cash-register, the combination of a base-plate provided with money-openings, number-wheels, ratchet-wheels secured to rotate with said number-wheels, clutches connecting said number-wheels, means to engage and disengage said clutches, slides fitted to and movable in suitable guides on said baseplate rigid portions of which extend across the money-openings comprising slides rigid portions of which extend across the same moneyopening, pawls pivoted to said slides which engage the ratchet-wheels secured to rotate with the number-wheels, stops which limit the movement of said slides away from said number-wheels, and springs which maintain said pawls normally in engagement with their respective ratchet-wheels and the slides normally retracted, substantially as described.

3. In a cash-1-'egister, the combination of a base-plate provided with money-openings comprising openings for cents, nickels, dimes and quarters, number-wheels comprising a units and tens number-wheel, clutches which connect said number-Wheels, means to engage and disengage said clutches, ratchet-wheels secu red to rotate with the number-wheels, slides fitted to and movable in suitable guides on said base-plate rigid portions of which extend across the money-openings comprising slides rigid portions of one .of which extend across the cent, nickel and quarter openings and of another across the dime and quarter openings, a pawl on the cent, nickel and quarter slide which engages the ratchet-wheel secured to rotate with the units number-wheel and a pawl on the dime and quarter slide which engages the ratchet-wheel secured to rotate with the tens number wheel, stops which limit the movement of said slides away from said number-wheels and springs which maintain said pawls normally in engagement with their respective ratchet-wheels and the slides normally retracted, substantially as described.

4:. In a cash-register, the combination of a base-plate provided with money-openings, number-wheels, ratchet-wheels secured to rotate with said number-wheels, clutches connecting said number-wheels, means to engage and disengage said clutches, comprising superposed slides fitted to and movable in suitable guides on said base-plate rigid portions of which extend across the money-openings, pawls pivoted to said slides which engage the ratchetwheels secured to rotate with the number-wheels, stops which limit the movement of said slides away from said numberwheels and springs which maintain said pawls normally in engagement with their respective number-wheels and the slides normally retracted, substantially as described.

5. In a cash-register, the combination of a base-plate provided with money openings, number-wheels, ratchet-wheels secured to rotate with said number-wheels, clutches which connect said number-wheels, means to engage and disengage said clutches, slides fitted to and movable in suitable guides on said base plate, rigid portions of which extend across the money-openings comprising superposed slides rigid portions of which extend across the same money-opening, pawls pivoted to said slides which engage the ratchet-wheels secured to rotate with the number-wheels, stops which limit the movement of said slides away from said number-wheels and springs which maintain said pawls normally in engagement with their respective ratchet-wheels and the slides normally retracted, substantially as described.

6. In a cash-register, the combination of a base plate provided with money openings comprising openings for cents, nickels, dimes and quarters, number-wheels comprising a units and tens number-wheel, clutches which connect said number-wheels, means to engage and disengage said clutches, ratchet-wheels secured to rotate with said number-wheels, slides fitted to and movable in suitable guides on said base-plate rigid portions of which extend across the money-openings comprising superposed slides rigid portions of one of which extend across the cent, nickel, and quarter openings and of another across the dime and quarter openings, a pawl on the cent, nickel and quarter slide Which engages the ratchetwheel secured to rotate with the units number-wheel and a pawl on the dime and quarter slide which engages the ratchet-wheel secured to rotate with the tens number-wheel, stops which limit the movement of said slides away from the number-wheels and springs which maintain said pawls normally in engagement with their respective ratchet-wheel and the slides normally retracted, substantially as described.

7. In a cash-register, the combination of a base-plate provided with inoney-o 'ienings, number-wheels, ratchet-wheels secured to rotate with said number-wheels, clutches connecting said number-wheels, means to engage and disengage said clutches, slides fitted to and movable in suitable guides on said base-plate, rigid portions of which extend across the money-openings, pawls pivoted to said slides which engage the ratchet-Wheels secured to rotate with the number-wheels, means to disengage said pawls from their respective numberwheels at a predetermined point in the movement of said slides, stops which limit the movement of said slides away from said number- Wheels and springs which maintain said pawls normally in engagement with their respective ratchet Wheels and the slides normally retracted, substantially as described.

8. In a cash-register, the combination of a base-plate provided with money-openings. number-wheels, ratchet-wheels secured to rotate with said number-wheels,clutches connecting said number-wheels, means to engage and disengage said clutches, slides fitted to and movable in suitable guides on said base-plate,

rigid portions of which extend across the money-openings, pawls pivoted to said slides which engage the ratchetwheels secured to rotate with the number-wheels comprising a pawl or pawls provided with a disengagingcam, stops which limit the movement of said slides away from said number wheels and springs which maintain said pawls normally in engagement with their respective ratchetwheels and the slides normally retracted, substantially as described.

9. In a cash-register, the combination of a base plate provided with money openi ngs comprising openings for cents, nickels, dimes and quarters, number-wheels, comprising a units and tens number-Wheel, clutches which connect said number-wheels, means to engage and disengage said clutches, ratchet-wheels secured to rotate with the number-wheels, slides fitted to and movable in suitable guides on said base-plate rigid portions of which extend across the money-openings comprising slides rigid portions of one of which extend across the cent, nickel and quarter openings and of another across the dime and quarter openings, a pawl on the cent, nickel and quarter slide which engages the ratchet-wheel secured to rotate with the units number-wheel, said pawl comprising five teeth and a disengagingcam at the inner end thereof, a pawl on the dime and quarter slides which engages the ratchet-wheel secured to rotate with the tens J number-wheel, a stop which limits the movement of said slides away from said numberwheels and springs which maintain said pawls normally in engagement with their respective number-wheels and the slides normally retracted, substantially as described.

10. A cash-register comprising a base-plate provided with money-openings and actuatingslides fitted to and movable in suitable guides on said base-plate rigid portions of which extend across the money-openings comprising slides rigid portions of which extend across the same opening, substantially as described.

11. A cash-register comprising a base-plate provided with money-openings and actuatingslides fitted to and movable in suitable guides on said base-plate, rigid portions of which extend across the money-openings comprising superposed slides rigid portions of which eX- tend across the same opening, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 aflix my signature, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 6th day of July, A. D. 1904.

ALBERT VON HOFFMANN.

WVitnesses:

E. M. KLA'roHnR, CHAS. B. GILLSON. 

